Signal-Copiahan. (Hazlehurst, Copiah County, Miss.) 1885-1888, 1887-11-03

/ tuo uhWcuricu IPPcuta'So Vi WHO
slightly. built woman who spoke so
lightly of walkingsiS miles up u rocky
aud wearisome mountain trail.
"Do you think l couldn't do the
workP" she asked. al am quito strong
and have known nothing but hard
work all my life"
She held out her unglovod hands as
she spoke. They were rough and
wrinkled. with bent fingers and cal
loused palms.
You might do the work." said Mr..
Vance. There are only about fifteen
boartlcrs and we live in plain. rough
way, and thcrc is boy to help. But
it wouldn't be n pleasant place for n
lady to live. There arc no women in
this gulch."
IL care nothing for that" said Miss
Millicent. 'Mcn are sometimes kinder
than women" she added, with tinge
of bitterness in her voice.
The end of it all was that Miss Mil
liccnt was installed rs cook in the
boardng.h house. Shc had evidently
come determined to stay, for the stage
coach that went rumbling through the
| gulch next day brought up little
hair.covcred trunk with m. HS on
the end of il in brass-headcd nails.
Before week the boardcrs began
blessing the good angel that sent them
Miss Milliccnt Such meals rs she
served had never been seen before ut
the Little ChriStabel, and it was won-
dcrful to SEQ the change she brought
about in the dirty little clearinghouse
and its contents. Her energy and
strength seemed unfailing. She went
stepping briskly about. the neatcst and
sprightliest of housckeepers, singing
at her work and smiling on everybody.
AT the end of fortnight every man
in camp knew Miss Millicent and had
felt the influence good woman exerts
in every community.
Old hats and caps were dotted to her
wherever she went. No oaths or
rough words were spoken in her
presence, and the man who would
have dared TO offer her an indignity
would have "bcen rid on n rail- >" rs
my informant said.
For u year Miss Milliccnt lived -
the Little Christabel, and in that time
she had won the sincere regard of
every man in camp There had been
q great deal of sickness among the
men that winter and some of them
owed their lives to Miss Millicents
careful nursing. good food and gener-
al good sense in every thing pertain
Ing to tho care of the sick.
Her own cheerfulness and good
health never failed her.
Il don't believe you over had q sor-
row in your life. did your" asked one
of the men one day.
Miss Millicent was standing in the
cabin door ut the time. The smile on
her face vanished as she mado reply;
she leaned her head YEARLY against
the door frame; her face paled for 4
moment and her lips quivered rs she
said, slowly:
Every heart knoweth its own Bit
terness;" then she turned and went to
her own little room at the end of the
cabin, and the man who had asked the
question said:
"Somo villain of man at the bot
tom of it all. I'll bot; I'd like to help
stretch his neck!'
1t was no secret that one or two OF
the men in camp had been suitors for
Miss Mellicent's hand; and it was
known that she had received their pro-
posals with burst Of tears, and had
begged them never. as they valued
their happiness and hers never to refer
to the subject again.
The camp had been singularly free
from the brawls and lawlessness that
both distinguish and disgrace most
mining camps. Mr.. Vance would not
allow saloon within the limits of the
mine, and had made it obligatory Gu
the men that they refrain from many
things common to the ordinary miner.
The presence of Miss Millicent had
had much to do with the unusual good
behavior of tho men and the good
name the Little Christabcl wore as n
mining camp.
But one day there came bit Of
news to the camp that changed the
men from good-natured, easy-going,
jovial fellows to angry, determined
men.
There lived on claim near the Lit
tie Christabel man known rs Captain
Tom. an honest, Woodworking and
thoroughly good man. very popular
with all who knew him, and unusually
so with the men employed ut the Lit
tic Chris label.
For two years he had worked hard
in poverty and deprivation. develop
ing a claim that was generally be-.